From now on, the locals of Bilovodsk Amalgamated Territorial Community (ATC) in Luhansk Oblast will be able to see all of the communal property objects of their community on an online map, track all of the budget money allocated for communal rent, and check if it is properly spent.

The head of the Active Community Local Development Centre NGO, Oksana Ochkurova, says that the launch of the interactive map with a list of all communal property in the area will help the ATC advance the transparency and accountability of its local government bodies.

“Many amalgamated territorial communities do not inform their citizens properly about the communal property that these communities actually own,” says Ochkurova.

“While compiling all the objects for the map, our experts thoroughly checked if the property objects are being used in a proper manner and in line with their actual purpose, collecting full information, creating a list of these objects, and going to the field to take photos and videos in all 27 settlements within the community,” she adds.

To this end, the Active Community Local Development Centre NGO has developed a tool – effective and understandable to the general public – for informing about and managing the use of community property, whilst minimizing possible corruption risks. Locals can see all the resources that community has, and make sure they are being used properly.

Now all 144 objects placed on the map have a matching photo, description and location coordinates.

“This instrument prevents local authorities from taking decisions on how to use the property against the interests of the community,” said Ochkurova.

The project “Openness of the government – welfare of the community” in Bilovodsk ATC, has been launched with the financial support of the European Union under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme aimed at creating an effective mechanism for bodies of the local government to inform the public about the proper usage of the communal property and public budgets.

Moreover, this online instrument will help accelerate the speed and effectiveness of the decision-making regarding rationale usage of property complex and sustainability of socio-economic development of the amalgamated territorial community.

“This instrument also makes it easier for the public to access information about the locations of critical infrastructure,” says Ochkurova.

“In times of armed conflict, mapping gives us opportunity to manage stress, as it allows the location of important objects – namely hospitals or hub schools – to be seen. This creates a feeling of security – especially for the hundreds of internally displaced people that have now became residents of Bilovodsk ATC.

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The programme is supported by twelve international partners: the European Union, the European Investment Bank and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.